


The Center Cannot Hold

by Dekomaru



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Al Sah-him, League of Assassins - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dekomaru/pseuds/Dekomaru
Summary: Things don't go as planned when Oliver agrees to become Al Sah-him.AU where league brainwashing works, because I hate everything





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> sorry, but I do as I want and this popped into my head one day
> 
> also, there aren't any graphic descriptions of violence, but if torture makes you queasy this might not be the best

He woke with a start. Drenched in cold water he sat straight up. His entire body ached and everything was dark. A low calm voice echoed through the room.

"Oliver Queen exists only in the past. He is Forgotten. You are Al Sah-him."

Right at the conclusion of the statement, the bag was yanked off  Al Sah-him's head. He blinked rapidly, desperately trying to get used to the blindly light that filled the room. Once his eyes adjusted, Al Sah-him surveyed the room. His wrists were shackled and attached to a ring in the middle of the room via a long chain. The room was circular, and reminded him of a medieval dungeon. There was a door on the far side of the room, from where he was, and the large window was directly behind him. The window was covered with and elaborate grate that cast a shadow into the bleak room. Al Sah-him Stood up and moved towards the wall, sitting back down and leaning against it. Everything ached in a sore, covered with bruises way. Al Sah-him went about discovering exactly where all of his aches originated from and made a mental note about all of them. Some were new, others weeks old. " _Ra's al Ghul."_ The name popped into his head as Al Sah-him pressed down on one of the newer bruises. " _That's right, he's training me because I am Al Sah-him, Warith al Ghul, heir to the demon" he remembered, prodding more bruises. He worked his way over to the pain on his right shoulder blade. "_ A Brand?" Al Sah-him muttered softly. " _You joined the League of_ Assassins,"responded his fuzzy memory. Al Sah-him stopped and just relaxed against the wall trying to remember more, but to no avail. Who was he before he came here? The memory was just out of reach; he could see it. He could see her.

 

Just then a man clad in all black except from a tan mask covering the lower half of his face brought in a wooden bowl of gruel, tossing it on the floor in the center of the room before exiting once again. Al Sah-him stood back up, despite his muscles groaning in pain. He reached down and grabbed his meal, his stomach starting to growl. He sat down, crossing his legs. After finishing his meal, he lied down on his side, staring at the door. After a couple of minutes the man dressed in all black returned.

 

"Ra's al Ghul requests your presence," the man said bluntly, unlocking Al Sah-him's shackles. Al Sah-him followed behind the other as they made their way through the fortress. " _Nanda Parbat_." The thought floated up from the back of his mind. " _So that's where I am."_ The two made one last turn before exiting Nanda Parbat and heading outside. There was a ring of torches with a man in his 50s standing the the middle. He was dressed in elegant back robes, and had a ring witha dragon's head on it.  _"Ra's._ " Al Sah-him thought.

 

"Al Sah-him, Shall we begin?" Ra's asked, shedding his outer robe and offering Al Sah-him a sword identical to his own. Al Sah-him didn't repond, he simply took the sword, and readied himself to fight. The two clashed swords. They were farily evenly matched, but Ra's eventually got the upper hand, and took Al Sah-him' sword and flipped him over so that he laid on the ground. Ra's held the sword inches above him chest.

"Dead." Ra's declared simply, helping Al Sah-him back up. "You did better today, Al Sah-him. However, you still have much to learn. Again."

 And so, the two fought again and again. Al Sah-him would be defeated each time, and Ra's would point out what he had done wrong and helped him improve. Eventually, the two strayed from swords and worked on fighting with other implements. Al Sah-him was especially good at using a bow-and-arrow. " _After all my name does mean the Arrow_ ," he thought to himself, not entirely sure how he knew the fact. The two also fought with knives and bow staffs.   However, after one bought with bow staffs, Ra's purposefully knocked Al Sah-him out.

* * *

Once again, Al Sah-him awoke with cold water being dumped on him. Once again, everything was dark, however, this time his hands were tied behind his back. The same low calm voice as last time, who Al Sah-him now recognized as Ra's, stated: 

"Oliver Queen exists only in the past. He is Forgotten. You are Al Sah-him."

For a moment, another man's memories drifted through his mind, Oliver Queen's memories. Al Sah-him desperately clung to those memories; they were full of pain, yet happiness and hope shined the brightest within them. " _I was Oliver Queen. I still am Oliver Queen_ ," He thought. That's when someone poured burning wax on him. Oliver bit him tongue, refusing to cry out in pain. 

"Oliver Queen exists only in the past. He is Forgotten. You are Al Sah-him."

more wax was poured on him, each time the statement was repeated, covering his body in burns. Everything hurt; he was riddled with bruises and cutting from fighting, and now his was covered with burns. Being Oliver Queen hurt. Ra's saying: "Oliver Queen exists only in the past. He is Forgotten. You are Al Sah-him." was the only thing he had to grasp onto while he was in pain. " _Forgive me Felicity,_ " Oliver thought, as he turned back to the apathetic Al Sah-him. 

"Oliver Queen exists only in the past. He is Forgotten. I am Al Sah-him." Al Sah-him muttered under his breath. Then everything was quite. Ra's stopped repeating the mantra, and his torturer stopped pouring burning wax on him. He was alone in the darkness. He sat there, knees folded under him, hands behind his back. After what felt like ages, the door to the room creaked open. Al Sah-him's hands were untied, and quickly re-shackled. The blindfold was pulled off and a familiar assassin stood over him. He left Al Sah-him with another bowl of gruel. 

Al Sah-him reached for the food, eating it slowly. Afterwards, he gently picked at the dried wax, working his way through getting it all off. Once he was finished, he noticed it was night, upon his realization, Al Sah-him noticed just how tired he was.He laid on him side and went to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was shorter than I planned, I just hit a good stopping point, before making this chapter entirely too long


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My oath of mercy on Oliver Queen's friends was premised by your fealty. Prove it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some of the dialogue was lifted directly from s3e21, I changed a few things about how Al Sah-him is addressed in regards to things about Oliver.  
> enjoy!

He awoke the next morning as the sun peaked into the room through the grated window. Al Sah-him rolled over the other direction, facing away from the sun and stared at the door. He reached into his mind, and realized he had Oliver Queen's memories. They weren't the same person, they were two separate entities who shared a body. Oliver Queen was no more. Only Al Sah-him remained. Al Sah-him knew the names and faces of those who loved Oliver Queen, but he did not care for them; they loved a dead man.

Ra's al Ghul entered the room, interrupting Al Sah-him's thoughts. He began to sit up, getting up halfway before Ra's offered him a hand. Al Sah-him stared at him a bit longer, unsure whether to accept or not. Ra's dipped his head, reading Al Sah-him's uncertainty, and Al Sah-him took his hand. 

"Al Sah-him, I trust that Oliver Queen is no more?" Ra's questioned.

"Oliver Queen is alive only in the past. He is forgotten" responed Al Sah-him. Satisfied with his answer, Ra's replied,

"Indeed. You are Al Sah-him. You are Warith al Ghul, heir to the demon. Follow me." He then led Al Sah-him out of the room, down a hallway and up two flights of stairs.

"This will be your quarters. Inside you'll find your League uniform. I will give you the day to become accustomed to Nanda Parbat, however tonight I wish to spar with you," Ra's said. He waved over to the assassin with the tan mask. "Sarab will show around, should you need help finding somewhere." At the conclusion, of his statement, Ra's walked off. Al Sah-him pushed open the door t his new room. In the center of the room was a four poster bed on which sat a black bundle of clothing and side table. There was a balcony on the far side of the room and to the left was what Al Sah-him assumed was the bathroom. He turned and looked at Sarab, who took his position outside the door, before entering the room. He shut the door behind him and pulled off his gray t-shirt. He walked over to the bathroom, seeking a shower. Al Sah-him pulled off the rest of his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He turned on the shower, leaving the water at lukewarm. Al Sah-him stepped into the shower, letting the water just run over him. He stood like that for about 5 minutes before actually moving to clean himself. He exited the shower, and stared at himself in the mirror. Al Sah-him had a buzz-cut that was starting to grow back and scruff, that needed to be trimmed. He reached for the cabinet near the mirror, riffling through it until he found a razor and some shaving cream. He quickly set about shaving his face. Once done he exited the bathroom and entered the main room. Al Sah-him grabbed the clothes waiting for him on the bed. They were identical to what Sarab wore, except he received a different outer jacket. He changed into the new clothes, opting to leave the black mask, and exited the room. Sarab was still waiting for him by the door. 

Al Sah-him strode down the hallway, stopping at the intersection with the next hallway. He dipped into Oliver Queen's memory for a map of Nanda Parbat, and confidently turn to the right. Sarab followed behind him, watching his every move. Al Sah-him came up on a flight of stairs, and took them down a level. The upper levels were where the sleeping quarters where including the barracks. The middle level housed the Lazarus Pit, the kitchen & dining hall and where all the assassins trained. The lower level was where prisoners where held. Outside was more training grounds, but that was it. Al Sah-him explored Nanda Parbat for most of the day, trying to reinforce the mental map he already had. Once he was done, it was time for dinner. Al Sah-him walked in from outside and headed straight for the dining hall. Ra's sat at the head of the table with Sarab on his left and Al Sah-him on his right. Sarab and Ra's talked strategy about something Al Sah-him didn't know about, so he stayed quite and listened to what the two had to say through dinner. Occasionally, Sarab and Ra's would switch languages, Al Sah-him guessed at Arabic. Eventually, the two finished talking, and Ra's stood, turning to Al Sah-him.

"You will wear you mask on League missions, so I suggest you practice fighting in it," he said.  Al Sah-him nodded in response. Ra's then left the room,  Al Sah-him exited through a different door, heading back towards his room, with Sarab on him tail. He climbed the flight of stairs, turned down several hallways, before slipping into his room and grabbing the mask.  Al Sah-him pulled it over the lower half of his face, and pulled up the hood of his tunic.  Al Sah-him once again exited his room, ad made his way back outside to where he knew Ra's would be waiting for him. 

Ra's stood in the center of the ring of the torches, the same place he had trained with him earlier. Once again, Ra's passed Al Sah-him a sword, holging it from the blade offering him the hilt. Al Sah-him accepted it; the sword was standard League issued.  Ra's paced away from Al Sah-him, so that the two stood 5 feet apart. Spinning around to face him, Ra's spun his sword in hand so that it was held upright.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked apathetically, and on cue Al Sah-him swung his sword at him, beginning the fight. The two clashed swords for quite a while. Al Sah-him would strike, but Ra's would always be able to block it. Al Sah-him was able to hold his own for while, but eventually, Ra's was able to flip his onto the ground. However, Ra's offered him a hand to get up. Al Sah-him took it standing up and pulling back his hood and off his mask.

"You've made great progress in three weeks, Al Sah-him," Ra's said studying Al Sah-him's face. He then began to walk back towards Nanda Parbat with Al Sah-him in tow-

"My Lord, I apologize for this interuption," called Sarab from behind them. He had taken off his mask and hood. Al Sah-him saw his face for the first time, Oliver queen screamed in his mind that his name was Maseo Yamashiro. Sarab continued walking towards the two with two other league members and a man dressed in tan clothing with a strippped scarf and a bag over his head. "We captured his intruder"

"Why then is he still yet alive?"Ra's asked, as Al Sah-him took a step towards the intruder. 

"He was known to Oliver Queen," Sarab said pulling off the bag to reveal the face of a very confused black man.  _John Diggle_. Al Sah-him and John locked eyes for a moment, before john spoke to him.

"What the hell is going on here?" He aasked, to which Sarab responded.

"Clearly he made another attempt to free Al Sah-him." Sarab cast the prisoner a side long glance. 

"Well, then it falls on Al Sah-him to deal with him," Ra's said, looking at Al Sah-him at the end of his statement. 

"Oliver, they're lying to you. I never made it home. They've had me prisoner here for weeks." John pleaded, trying to get Oliver to come out of Al Sah-him's shell. However, Al Sah-him continued to stare down stonily at him. 

"My oath of mercy to Oliver Queen's friends was premised by your fealty. Prove it." commanded Ra's, handing Al Sah-him his sword.

"No, Oliver, Listen to me. They're lying to you. We can still get out of here. You and me working to together. There's still a chance." John looked up at Al Sah-him, searching his face for any cracks in his mask. Ra's backed away to see what Al Sah-him would do. Al Sah-him switched his grip of the sword, holding it up.

"Thats the way this is. You've been here a few weeks and you forget who you are. Remember when you brought me into your crusade? I told you I would be here to help remind you who Oliver was if you ever became something else. I haven't given up on that promise." John said defiantly staring up at Al Sah-him. Al Sah-him simply stabbed him through the chest. He made no display of emotion as he did so, barely even blinked. Oliver Queen's memories of John flashed before his eyes, but Al Sah-him didn't care. He pulled his sword out and watch, John fall to the ground face first. He kicked the body over. John Diggle did not stare back at him instead it was a face he didn't recognize. All the while, Ra's looked on approvingly. 

"The past three weeks you've been exposed to a rare hard centuries old. Causes for one's conscience to come to the forefront of their mind so it is the only thing that they see." Ra's explained as he walked towards Al Sah-him, and began to circle around him. He stood behind him as he said,  "The herb's effect is different for everyone. Some people see family and loved ones. Others encountered trusted friends or teachers. What did you see?" Al Sah-him stared off stonily for a moment before opening his mouth to speak,

"John Diggle." 

"There is somewhere else I wish you to see, come" Ra's ordered, walking back behind Al Sah-him.

"Where?" Al Sah-him asked, following Ra's. 

"The past. A place now home only for the dead." stated Ra's was the two kept walking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ope you enjoyed! I was hoping to get through to the part where Al Sah-him goes after Nyssa, but I'll probably have that next chapter.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!
> 
> constructive criticism also appreciated


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There is a rival that claims to be heir to the demon, You must eliminate this treat from your reign and you must do so without mercy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, took a while to get around to writing this. I'm going to have bits of this chapter from other character's point of view.

"I've not been back to this place since I pledged myself to the League," Ra's said as he and Al Sah-him walked through the ruins of a village. Al Sah-him looked about, the land was desolate, a few stray wall chunks stood bravely out of the ground. 

"What happened here?" asked Al Sah-him. 

"When I joined the League I was conscripted with another man, Damien Darhk. We would become the prized agents of Ra's al Ghul. We were his horsemen," recounted Ra's. Al Sah-him listened intently as the two walked further into the ruins. "and he molded us into warriors the likes the world had never seen. We were as brothers." a bit of bitter sentiment hung onto the last few words Ra's spoke. 

"What happened to him?" pressed Al Sah-him. 

"He believed himself worthy of becoming heir to the demon, but I was the one chosen." answered Ra's plainly.

"So you had to kill him," Al Sah-him replied evenly. Ra's stopped and turned to face Al Sah-him.

"Yes," Ra's said, pausing for a moment. Regret tugged at his voice, "but you see I hesitated. With that hesitation he found opportunity to escape, taking with him his loyalists and water from the Lazarus Pit, and he has vexed me ever since." Ra's had walked away from Al Sah-him and was staring out across the bare landscape. He turned back to Al Sah-him and stated,

"and Oliver Queen"

"I don't follow," replied Al Sah-him, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side. 

"Damien continues the Leagues ways, but through his own organization filled with a hive of agents,devoted to his own agenda," Ra's said as he resumed walking again. " Last year, he tried to purchase Malcolm Merlyn's earthquake generator. He gave Gholem Qadir safe haven in Markovia and he hired Mark Shaw to steal the secret file from ARGUS"

"This is all the work of one man?" questioned Al Sah-him, as the two stopped walking once again. 

"The list goes on," said Ra's with a shake of his head, " Many lives have been lost, others endangered. And all because I was slow to swing a vengeful sword. And I will no have my heir haunted by the same mistake."

"What is that you wish me to do?" asked Al Sah-him. 

"There is a rival that claims to be heir to the demon, You must eliminate this treat from your reign," replied Ra's simply. " _He means Nyssa"_  Al Sah-him thought. "and you must do so without mercy," finished Ra's. 

* * *

Laurel threw the mugger on the ground. She waited for him to get up before knocking him squarely in the face with her tonfa, causing him to crumble to the ground. She rooted through his pockets, finding the wallet he stole in hopes of giving it back to the owner. Nyssa rounded the corner, and looked on approvingly. Laurel's training was coming along well. 

"Shall we continue your training?"Nyssa offered as Laurel stood up. 

"I'm starving," replied Laurel, "there's a diner near here that serves the best black and white milkshakes in Starling City."

"What is a black and white milkshake?" asked Nyssa, to which Laurel just smiled.

 The two quickly changed back into civilian clothes, and Laurel lead the way to the dinner. They sat together at a table for two in the middle of room. The waiter took their orders soon after they sat down. It wasn't long until the waiter sat down two hanburgers with fires and tow black and white milkshakes on the tables. Nysssa picked up a french fry, inspecting it.

"I never understood your country's need to fry  _everything_ ," Nyssa commented, as Laruel reached for the ketchup.

"That's because  _everything_  tastes better that way," replied Laurel with a knowing grin. 

"This is more oil than potato," complained Nyssa.

"Dip it in your milkshake," Laurel said ignoring Nyssa. 

"I sense you mocking me," Nyssa said staring at Laurel warily. However, Laurel pushed Nyssa's milkshake closer to her. Nyssa gave in and reluctantly dipped her fry in the milkshake. She took a wary bite before a smile spread across her face. 

"Thats' actually not bad," said Nyssa, covering her mouth. 

"And the student becomes the teacher," joked Laurel. 

"Thank you, Laurel. I was alone and adrift and you have shown me kindness" said Nyssa.

"I'm only returning the favor," Laurel replied as she squeezed the ketchup on to her burger, "isn't that what you did for Sara?" Nyssa shook her head.

"There's little comparison between my current situation and Sara's after her time with Oliver on Yian Lu,"said Nyssa gravely. As soon as Nyssa mentioned Oliver, Laurel stopped. All of the pain of him leaving again came rushing back. 

"There's something I haven't told you about Oliver, " Laurel started, " He accepted your father's request to become his heir."

"You should not have kept that from me," Nyssa said, a mixture of anger and fear flashing across her face. 

* * *

"I think Sara's still a little young for chicken cacciatore," advised Lyla as she sat down. Thea and Felicity were over for dinner tonight. Oliver leaving had been tough on everyone so It was best that they all stuck together.

"Well, my mom used to feed me nachos from the bar at The Grand  before I was off the bottle and I turned out normal," countered Felicity sitting in the seat across from Lyla. 

"Ish" said Thea slyly. All three of them smiled at each other. Just then John walked in setting his gun on the table before leaning in to give Lyla a kiss. He pulled back and took Lyla's drink. 

"John, whats the rule?" Lyla asked exasperated.

"No glocks on the dinner table," said John, picking up his gun and putting it else where. 

"How did it go out there tonight?" Felcitiy asked as john sat down at the table. 

"Your intel was spot on, and I didn't get myself killed," John replied, turning to Lyla at the second half of his statement. 

"Eventually we're going to have to figure out a new status quo, a working one," Felcity faltered for a second, "now that..."

"Ollie's gone," finished Thea. Everyone in the room was silent until John spoke up. 

"Gone but never forgotten." He said raising his wine glass. 

"Gone but never forgotten," repeated everyone else somberly.

* * *

 Everyone stood in Ray Palmer's Lab. 

"Oliver is coming for me with as many men as it takes to see me dead," Nyssa said solemnly. Laurel's face twisted with concern, John remained as stotic as ever, but Felicity's face was covered in disbelief.

"Wait a second, Oliver wouldn't-"started Felicity.

"That's the thing, he's not Oliver anymore. " interrupted Nyssa. 

"What she's trying ot say is that Oliver would never do anything to hurt you." John said rushing to Felicity's defense, " The only reason why he joined the League was to protect the people that he loves." 

"Oliver Queen is dead. All that remain is a husk, loyal to Ra's al Ghul." said Nyssa harshly, looking past John to stare at Felicity. 

"Appartently, the League has some of their recruits undergo a process of reprogramming," offered Laurel attempting to maintain the peace.

"Like brainwashing? Oliver never said he was signing on for brainwashing," Felicity said, fear and disbelief clouding her words. 

"The League's ways are shrouded in mystery and ceremony. Oliver wouldn't have known it was even happening to-"Nyssa consoled

"I don't care," Felicity near yelled at Nyssa, "Oliver is stronger than that." 

"I did not come here to debate," Nyssa said firmly, "Laurel insisted that I tell you myself. You guys can stay here and deny reality all you want, but that will get you nowhere. I will not cover in the shadows waiting for death, " Nyssa then walked out, Laurel flashed Felicity and John and angry glance, before following her. Laurel returned a couple minutes later.

"So now what do we do?" Laurel asked.

"No offense, but Nyssa is insane, and Oliver is still Oliver," Felicity said harshly. 

"Nyssa is a good person and she knows the League better than any of us do," Laurel said. 

"I hear you Laurel, but since when is the daughter of the demon someone we stick our necks out for?" John asked.

"So what? We're going to let her die? Nyssa saved my sister's life. She's a good person depsite what she grew up with and she certainly doesn't deserve to die," Laurel said to John, before turning to Felicity and saying, "Oliver isn't a perfect ray of sunshine. He's killed people. But we still consider him a good person, we won't just leave him out to die. Nyssa isn't perfect but she's not evil." Laurel sighed. "I'm helping her with or without, you guy's help."Laurel walked over to one of the computers, when she heard John sigh.

"I'll help," he acquiesced. Felicity huffed but also begrudgingly agreed to help.

* * *

Nyssa stood on the rooftop looking out across the city. She heard the soft crunch of gravel and looked over her shoulder. 

"This is where my beloved spirit departed this world. Do you even remember Sara? or has my father already obliterated her from your memory?" Nyssa asked turning around to face Al Sah-him. He was wearing the blach mask that covered the lower half of his face and a quiver was strapped on his back. He held a black recurve bow in his left hand. 

"I'm here to bring you back to Nanda Parbat, " Al Sah-him said with no emotion.

"To face justice? If so for what crime? To face vengeance? If so for what offense?" asked Nyssa.

"You told Oliver Queen, Vengeance is Justice."  replied Al Sah-him bluntly. 

"And you bested me in battle. That won't happen again," Nyssa said notching her bow and firing at Al Sah-him. He ran along the roof top as Nyssa fired arrows at him, each one flying barely behind him. He ducked down behind a air conditioning unit, before notching his own bow and firing an arrows at her. Nyssa deflected Al Sah-him's shots with her sword. However, Al Sah-him had gotten within fighting range. Nyssa lunged at him but he side stepped and she went past him. She recovered quickly, spinning around and slashing her sword and bow at his face. Al Sah-him threw a smoke bomb to temporarily blind Nyssa. He leaped forward, taking a swing with his sword. Nyssa was just barely able to block but Al Sah-him had gained the upper hand. A few moments later, Al Sah-him kicked her sword out of her hand, and seconds later her bow. Nyssa laid on the edge of the building as he held his sword and bow up to her neck. 

"Do it. If I die I will have it be on the same ground as Sara," Nyssa breathed out. Al Sah-him pressed his sword tightly against her neck, breaking skin. 

A high pitched scream echoed on the rooftop. Al Sah-him pulled his sword away from Nyssa's neck as he groaned in pain. He stood up to face the new adversaries. His hood had fallen off as he saw two familiar faces.  _John Diggle and Laurel Lance, friends of Oliver Queen and presumably Nyssa_. For a moment, he just stared at them. 

"We can't let you hurt her, man" yelled John. Al Sah-him locked his eyes with John, and switched which hand his bow was in before stepping calmly off the roof. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning to get further with this chapter, but I didn't want it to be too long so
> 
> comments and Kudos appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get a whole lot worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, not sorry
> 
> Also I'm sorry for any typos

"Neither one of us believed Nyssa when she said Oliver had been turned," Felicity stated turning to face John. Her voice was caked in pain.

"I'm still not sure I believe it," John replied, lifting his eyebrows and shaking his head slightly. He stepped back away from Felicity for a moment before continuing.

"I've heard about this kind of thing. Guy gets captured by the enemy," John faltered, sighing then said, "he gets broken. I just never imagined Oliver.... Still can't imagine Oliver would...." John trailed off for a moment, regaining his composure; his emotions threatened to spill out. He turned back to Felicity.

"He's the strongest man I've ever known, Felicity," John said woefully, "But it that moment, when I looked into his eyes.... I saw nothing; he was void of emotion. I didn't see the Oliver that we know."

"When Oliver stayed, when he agreed to join the League he never could have known that this is what he was agreeing to," Felicity started, "the only way I've been able to get out of bed these past weeks is because I knew that Oliver was still alive, but I'm even beginning to doubt that. "

"He is alive, somewhere deep down inside, Oliver Queen is alive and kicking," John said, more trying to convince himself than Felicity. 

"We thought Oliver was just giving up his life to Ra's, but he gave up his soul" Felicity said shakily. John leaned in and hugged her, comforting her as she started to silently cry on his shoulder. 

* * *

John opened the door to his flat, holding it open for Felicity. John shut the door behind her. 

"Are you sure this is okay?" Felicity asked as John shut the door. 

"Yeah, with Oliver and the League running around its best we stay close," John said resolutely turning the deadbolt on the door, "especially if something...." John trailed off when he heard it. Sara was crying. He reached for his gun holster, pulled out his gun and cocked it.

"John?" Felicity asked apprehensively as he pulled out his gun. 

"Something's wrong. Lyla?" John called into the flat, moving towards the nursery as Sara's cries grew louder. He rushed to pick up Sara, putting his gun back away.

"Wheres Lyla?" asked Felicity frantically. Just as John picked up Sara, his phone began to ring. He passed off Sara to Felicity and answered the phone. 

"John" said an unmistakable voice; it was Oliver. Confusion twisted across John's face.

"Oliver?" John asked. 

"First, let me assure you no harm will come to Lyla if you do exactly as I say. Bring Nyssa to the warehouse at Fullerton and Halsted and I'll let your wife go." Al Sah-him responded calmly, ignoring John's question. 

"Oliver, I swear, if you do anything to Lyla-" 

"You have 30 minutes," Al Sah-him cut in bluntly, ending the phone call. 

* * *

 "What happened to you?" asked Lyla. She glared at AL Sah-him as he came into her limited range of vision. He had taken off his mask and hood, however his face remained stony, as he walked past her, ignoring her question. 

"Johnny told me, but how could you become this?" Lyla asked with disdain. 

"Quite."  was all that AL Sah-him said back. He motioned to one of the guards to help him untie Lyla from the chair to bring to the warehouse. 

"No. I genuinely want to know," Lyka persisted, "How could the man who stood up at y wedding do this? How could the man who's been like a brother to John do this?" Al Sah-him didn't reply, opting to tighten his jaw. 

"You know, when John's brother died a part of him died too. His guilt and the emptiness from the loss outweighed everything. I tried my hardest to help him. But no on seemed to be able to comfort him or fill that void, until he met you. You gave him hope and purpose again," Lyla said if the idea was still new to her. The two League members, pulled Lyla to her feet and tied her hands behind her back. Sarab walked up behind Al Sah-him, and told him,

"Its time." Al Sah-him then lead the way to the stairwell at the back entrance of the underground League safe house. They came out of the stairwell to stand in the warehouse for the arranged meeting. Two League members held Lyla, while several others dispersed through the warehouse. Al Sah-him stared off into the blackness of the ware house, turning over Lyla's words in his head. Oliver Queen was raging about inside him, screaming, vying for control, but Al Sah-him forced him back down. By the time Sarab announced the arrival of Oliver Queen's friends, Al Sah-him had renewed his resolve, and turned to face them. The four walked up in a line. 

"Search them," ordered Al Sah-him. Sarab stepped forward working toward John.

"Wheres my wife?" demanded John. When he didn't get an immediate reaction, he repeated the question. Al Sah-him raised his hand and beckoned the two League members with Lyla. 

"You son of a bitch,"John said, seeing Lyla. He glared at Al Sah-him, but Al Sah-him stared straight ahead, giving no reaction as John continued, 

"Whatever Ra's did to you..." 

"Don't you dare touch me." snarled Felicity. Sarab had worked his way across the line, he turned back to Al Sah-him for what he should do. Al Sah-him blinked, telling Sarab to back off, Oliver Queen's memories said that Felicity never fought anyone, and was very poor with weapons. 

"Oliver, this-"Felicity started.

"Oliver Queen is dead," interrupted Al Sah-him, locking eyes with Felicity. Anguish spread across Felicity's face.

"This isn't you" she repeated, this time not as confidently, "I know you're still in there somewhere." Al Sah-him simply shifted his gaze from Felicity to Nyssa, who stared defiantly back. 

"Bind her," he ordered. League members stepped forward, tying her hands behind her back. Once they were finished, Al Sah-him turned to Lyla. 

"You're free to go" Lyla ran towards John, hugging him.

"Johnny. I thought they were going for Sara."

"Its okay. Everything's fine. Sara's fine. I told Felicity this was just like Jakarta," John said releasing Lyla from their hug and cupping her face affectionately. He kissed her softly on the forehead, before Lyla moved to hug Felicity, reaching into her jacket to grab the two hidden guns. Lyla spun around, firing two shots at the same time. hitting two League members in the shoulder. Al Sah-him and Sarab ducked down, before drawing their swords. Nyssa freed herself from her bindings by blocking a sword swing with them. Nyssa took a sword and joined the melee. Felicity had run away, John, Lyla and Laurel were all holding their own against League members. John made a dash for a sword but was confronted by Al Sah-him. John swung at Al Sah-him, who blocked easily before kicking John in the gut. John dodged the next kick and was able to stand up. Laurel picked up her tonfa and was trying to fight two League members at once. Nyssa was fighting Sarab. Lyla got K.Oed and moments later Laurel was knocked unconscious. Nyssa caught sight of it out of the corner of her eye, turning her attention from Sarab, who the swiftly knocked Nyssa down. League members rushed over to secure Nyssa. John and Al Sah-him were still fighting. Al Sah-him slashed John's gut, causing him to drop to the ground. Al Sah-him kicked in him wound and John rolled over. Al Sah-him stood over John for a moment as John attempted to stand. John began to speak, but Al Sah-him cut him off by stabbing him through the hand, pining it to the ground

Al Sah-him caught the arrow that was launched at him mere inches before it impaled his shoulder. He looked up the arrow's shaft, finding the origin. " _Thea Queen, trained with Malcolm Merlyn_ ," chipped in Oliver Queen's memories.  She looked surprised as Al Sah-him threw the arrow down to the ground. He pulled out a throwing knife; it impaled Thea's hand, forcing her to drop the bow in surprise and pain. The knife was embedded in her fingers, where she had been holding the bow facing Al Sah-him. Thea cradled her hand. 

"You're still you," wheezed John from behind Al Sah-him. Al Sah-him ignored him sheathing his sword and following after Sarab and the other League members with Nyssa. 

* * *

Everybody (plus Thea and minus Nyssa) stood in Palmer's lab. 

"He's really gone isn't he?," Felicity said pessimistically. She didn't want to believe Nyssa. She didn't want Oliver to be gone. But that man they had fought wasn't Oliver. They may have the same ruggedly handsome face, but they were far from the same person. The Oliver she knew was caring and loving despite his tough exterior. That man was void of all emotion. An empty husk of the man he once was. Maybe that was Ra's goal. 

"They're gonna kill Nyssa" said Laurel her own shitty reality setting in. Her voice grew frantic. "Oliver or her father, they're going to kill her"

"Its not fair" stated Thea.

"No, its not." agreed John. The four stood in silence for several minutes. 

"There no way of getting him back is there?" Felicity asked. 

"He's gone Felicity," confirmed John, "There only one thing left of him now..... us." John looked around the room, trying to inspire the gang to get up and keep going but everyone just felt like crying. 

"Gone but never forgotten," repeated Thea. 

* * *

Al Sah-him led Nyssa into the throne room where Ra's awaited him. 

"There are no more threats to my reign," he announced as he walked in. Al Sah-him and Sarab stood at attention in the middle of the room. The league members forced Nyssa to her knees, but she still held her head high. 

"Your fealty continues to impress me, Al Sah-him," commented Ra's, "You truly are Wareeth al Ghul." Al Sah-him ducked his head in acknowledgement. Ra's then adressed Nyssa,

"And yet my daughter still does not approve of my choice. Fortunately what I require is not your approval. " As soon as Ra's started talkign to Nyssa, Al Sah-him averted his gaze, opting to stare straight ahead. 

"Did you search her?" Ra's asked Sarab, prompting Al Sah-him to cock his head and swing a glance over at Sarab.

"It does not appear to be on her person," replied Sarab

"Bring me her weapons,"Ra's ordered the League member standing right behind Nyssa. Ra's took her sword from him, turning it over before tossing her scabbard to the side.

"You know, as a young child Nyssa displayed the panache of a thief." Ra's said weighting the sword in his hand, "Always stealing extra qatayef after meals and then stowing them away in her quarters. She would grow to learn there is nothing she can hide from me. Her exploits of late..." Ra's paused for a second as he pulled the handle off of Nyssa's sword revealing a small cylindrical container.

"Seem to have clouded her memory." Ra's finished resolutely. He then opened the container. It was empty. A wicked victorious smile circled up Nyssa's face. She titled her head up.

"You'll never find it," Nyssa declared a delight dancing in her eyes. The gears in Al Sah-him's mind started turning quickly. He knew not what Nyssa had hidden, only that it seemed to be of utmost importance. He quickly ran through a list of what she could of done with the mystery item, and settled on the most likely option. 

"Sir," began Al Sah-Him waiting for Ra's acknowledgment before continuing, "Nyssa likely entrusted whatever it is that you are looking for to Laurel Lance. They spent a large amount of time together following Nyssa's departure from Nanda Parbat. Though by now, Laurel Lance has probably shared with the rest of Oliver Queen's friends." The corners of Nyssa's triumphant smirk turned down ever so slighty as Al Sah-him spoke, before returning to gloating smile. However, Ra's caught her tell.

"I agree," Ra's said, drawing his attention away from Nyssa to look at Sarab and Al Sah-him. "Take Nyssa to the dungeons. Prepare to head back out again. You will be returning to Starling City."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to publish this !! Everything from here on out will be different from the show, I'm thinking about introducing the Flash cast, but I'm more of an Arrow person, and don't really watch the Flash as much. Merlyn and Tatsu are also in the foreseeable future. 
> 
> As always comments and Kudos appreciated, I love knowing what you guys think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starling City here we come (again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I feel like this chapter is a bit awkward, just because of where the plot is right now

* * *

Nyssa was transported out of the throne room and Sarab made to leave the room, however stoped when he saw that Al Sah-him remained.

"Sir, what exactly are you looking for?" Al Sah-him asked Ra's.

"Remember the village I showed you?" Ra's asked in return.

"Yes, it was your home," Al Sah-him stated.

"Correct. A crucial part of the ascension to Ra's is the destruction of one's home," Ra's said, "5 years ago, Oliver Queen encountered a deadly virus, capable of wiping out an entire city, the Omega Virus." Al Sah-him's eyebrows shot up as if in silent question. Oliver Queen's memory said that the all of the virus had been destoryed. Unless, Maseo had taken a vial of it when they blew up the truck. 

"Nyssa stole it hopes of stopping your ascension." Ra's finished. 

"Thank you, sir." replied Al Sah-him. Al Sah-him and Sarab then took their leave from the the throne room. Despite the League's typically ancient ways, they were in possession of a plane, located at an airstrip about a mile from Nanda Parbat. Most of the trip was spent in silence. 

Thaelab was standing in front of the plane when Al Sah-him and Sarab arrived. Thaelab was one of Ra's horsemen, like Sarab. He was in charge of overseeing intelligence gathering. Thaelab was spry and tad bit eccentric, traits uncommon in the League. He had an affinity for throwing knives and opted to carry a plethora of the them rather than a sword. Thaelab wore the same uniform as Sarab, except his mask was a deep burgundy.  However, currently both his mask and hood were off. He was ginger with bright green eyes and an amused smile slapped across his face. 

"Ra's ordered me to join you," Thaelab announced as the two got close, looking entirely too pleased to be going out on a mission. He fell in line with them as they boarded the plane. Additional League members boarded the plane after them and the plane took off. 

* * *

Laurel hadn't told everyone about the Omega Virus Nyssa had given her yet. She had been planning to, but she hadn't met up with anyone since right after Nyssa was taken. She stared at the transparent vial, and sighed. She reached from her couch to her coffee table grabbing her phone and dialed John's number.

"Hello?" He asked as he picked up.

"Nyssa gave me a virus that could wipe out the whole city before she left," Laurel said.

"What?" asked John.

"Nyssa told me that one of the final steps of Oliv- Al Sah-him's ascension to Ra's is destorying his home, Starling City, and he was going to do it with the Omega Virus. In hopes of keeping this from happening Nyssa stole the virus and gave it to me before she was captured," Laurel explained.

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" John asked.

"Sorry, I know I should have. I don't know what to do with it." Laurel said, "Nyssa told me the League would be coming for it and I don't know if anything will be safe enough."

"Everyone needs to hear about this," John replied, "I can ask Lyla about ARGUS storing it. Maybe Ray could develop a cure or a vaccination."

"Alright. Meet at Ray's lab in 20?" Laurel asked, already standing up and begining to leave her apartment.

"See you there," agreed John ending the call. John then quickly dialled Felicity and Thea telling them to meet him at Ray's lab. Reaching Lyla took a couple of minutes due ot her being moved to a safe house.

"Lyla, we have a situtation." John said gravely, "Nyssa gave Laurel some kind of super virus before she was captured by the League. I think it was called the Omega Virus-"

"Shit." Lyla interupted, "There was an ARGUS mission about 5 years ago. I can't remember who was involved but it went south and it resulted in the Omega Virus getting released in Hong Kong. Johnny, 3/4 of the people living there died. Why does the League have such a thing?"

"I don't know, but the League is coming to get it. Can ARGUS safely store it?" John asked.

"If ARGUS can't, nobody can." replied Lyla confidently. She then rattled off Waller's phone number and told John to call it and tell her whats going on. John decided to hold off on calling Waller until he met up with everyone else first. And so, 15 minutes later Team Arrow had assembled in Ray Palmer's lab. Laurel quickly explained what was going on.

"Nyssa said that once the League realizes that Nyssa doesn't have the virus, that they would come for it," Laurel finished.

"Lyla said that this virus was involved in an ARGUS mission 5 years ago. It got loose in Hong Kong and killed millions of people," John added. 

"Yikes," commented Thea in an attempt to lighten the grim mood. 

"Lyla said ARGUS would be willing to store it, but I wanted to hear your opinions first, because I know we all have mixed opinions about Waller," John explained.

"We don't need Waller's help," Felicity said indignantly. 

"Felicity, we, the four of us can't possibly secure the virus from the entire League of Assissins. I don't like it but I think this is the best course of action," Laurel replied. 

"Ray could make a vaccination or a cure," countered Felicity. 

"But what about while he's making it. If the League gets their hands on just the tiniest amount they could wipe of Starling City," argued Laurel. 

"I don't exactly know what's wrong with Waller, but I'm going to take Laurel's side on this," offered Thea. 

"We could give it to STAR Labs and they could secure it while finding a cure," Felicity pressed. 

"The fact of the matter is that the League is coming, again, and they want that," John pointed to the Omega Virus, "badly. As much I hate Waller and her methods, I think ARGUS is the best way to go on this." 

"I agree, sorry Felicity," responded Laurel.

"Et tu, Thea?" Asked Felicity with a scowl.

"Sorry but yes"

* * *

Al  Sah-him woke suddenly as the plane hit some turbulence.  He sat up straight in his seat and noticed Thaelab was watching him from across the plane, however he turned his attention away once Al Sah-him noticed. Sarab was napping next to Thaelab; he was leaning back in his seat, resting his head against the back of it. 

"How much longer until we arrive in Starling?" asked Al Sah-him.

"10 minutes," replied Thaelab, "what were you dreaming about? Sarab always tells me he doesn't have dreams" He leaned forward eager to hear what Al Sah-him would say.

"Nothing of interest," Al Sah-him answered blandly. Frowning, Thaelab leaned down in his seat once more. The plane touched down a few minutes later, and as if on cue Sarab woke up. The three then exited the plane. 

"I hate riding in planes, " announced Thaelab with disgust stepping on to solid ground for the first time since the start of the 15 hour flight.

"Laurel Lance, Felicity Smoak and John Diggle are the three most likely people to have either the Omega Virus or knowledge of its whereabouts. We'll each take a group and collect them for questioning. I have Lance, Sarab you get Diggle, and Al Sah-him get Smoak. Any questions?" instructed Thaelab. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he announced, Al Sah-him would get Felicity. Thaelab studied Al Sah-him's face yet, Al Sah-him revealed no emotion. Al Sah-him was rather un-bothered by the idea of seeing Felicity again. Though, he would say it was irksome. Being around Oliver Queen's former friends has a hassle. While he may not be Oliver Queen, he had retained his memories. The memories would surface and interfere will his mission. 

"No? Excellent! Then I'll be off," THaelab declared and the three parted ways. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist "et tu, brute?" If you haven't guessed from my other fics, I'm a Latin nerd
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst???????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took so long. I haven't really been in the mood to write recently

Felicity typed away swiftly at the keys to her tablet. Thea, John, and Laurel had all gone to give ARGUS the Omega Virus; not wanting to support their shitty plan, she had refused to go, so instead, she sat in her apartment pettily hacking into ARGUS. Felicity was mad that everyone had voted against her and hacking was her way to vent. She hit enter and blasted through the last ARGUS firewall.

"For a secret government organization, they sure have bad cybersecurity," Felicity mused as she began to click through ARGUS files. After several minutes of wading through files, Felicity found what she was looking for. She clicked on the files marked, "Omega Virus." She began to read:

Hong Kong, 2010

Agents Yamashiro and Queen were charged with the recovery of the two components of the Omega Virus from Chien Na Wei. The mission was a success however, General Shrieve betrayed ARGUS, shooting Waller in the stomach, before stealing the parts of the Omega virus. Queen and Yamashiro then attempted to stop the virus from being released by Shrieve, however, their mission was a failure. The virus killed 2/3 the population of Hong Kong. After the virus, Agent Yamashiro disappeared and Agent Queen was discharged before heading to Coast City. 

Felicity's leaned back and reread the description several times. "Agent Queen?" She muttered softly to herself, she clicked on the name and was rerouted to Queen's File. 

"Holy Fuck." Felicity said out loud when Oliver's face popped up, "Oliver worked for ARGUS." She quickly set her tablet down and ran into her kitchen. Felicity picked up her phone and texted John. "Oliver worked for ARGUS. Why didn't he tell us? Did Lyla know?" Just as Felicity hit send, the lights in her apartment cut out. Felicity reached for a kitchen knife. She held out in front of her defensively as she began to walk through her house.

"Who's here?" She asked, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. Felicity cautiously proceeded to her living room. She did quickly scanned the room, and turned around abruptly to go back to the kitchen and stood face to face with Oliver. Well, Dark Oliver. She dropped the knife in surprise and backed up, knocking into her side table, cause both herself and the table to fall. Dark Oliver didn't say anything and knelt down. Felicity scrambled backward. "Shit! Why is he here? Does the League already know Nyssa doesn't have the Virus?" Felicity pondered, as the two locked eyes. Finally, she puckered up the courage to speak,

"Why are you here?" asked Felicity. Dark Oliver didn't respond, instead, he stood back up and stepped past Felicity before she had time to react. He lifted her into the air and grabbed her with a chokehold. Felicity gasped and writhed, clawing at his arm. "This is it. Darth Oliver is going to kill me", she lamented. Soon her limbs gave out and her world faded to black

Why Thaelab had some weird obsession with poking at Al Sah-him was a mystery, yet he kept at it. It was more tiresome than annoying, Oliver Queen's friends were a nuisance and Felicity was the most troublesome. Al Sah-him had been hoping to get the drop on Felicity, but she had caught him off guard. He liked to blame this on the romance that had existed between Felicity and Oliver Queen. 

Al Sah-him hauled her body over his shoulder and stepped out onto the fire escape of her building, making his way down into the alleyway alongside the apartment complex. Al Sah-him then made his way back towards the League safe house, keeping hidden in the shadows as he moved through the city. When he arrived, Thaelab and Sarab had both returned empty-handed. Al Sah-him handed Felicity's unconscious body off to another League member.

"What happened to you two?" he asked.

"Wasn't around. We combed the entire city looking for them," replied Thaelab, "However! All we need is one person, and you've brought us exactly who we need." Right after he finished speaking, one of Thaelab's subordinates, a woman with jet-black hair and stern face walked up. She didn't wear a hood, and instead of a mask, had a black scarf around her neck pulled up over her mouth. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun. Her demeanor completely rivaled that of Thaelab, opting for a cold and unfeeling vibe. 

"Sir, she's ready," announced Layl. Thaelab nodded in recognition, before turning to speak to Al Sah-him.

"Come with me." He said gesturing to Al Sah-him as he began to walk away. The three, Thaelab, Al Sah-him, and Layl walked down to the end of a hallway. They turned a corner, entering a small dark room. Felicity was sitting, rather, she was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Thaelab lit a candle in the corner, illuminating the room more. 

"Layl, give us the room. I'm supposed to show Al Sah-him the ropes," Thaelab said over his shoulder as he picked up a bucket of water. 

"Yes, sir" replied Layl before exiting and shutting the door behind her. Once the door was shut, Thaelab doused Felicity in water. "They sure love waking people up with cold water" Al Sah-him noted with a hint of cynicism, thinking back to all the mornings he was awoken the same way. His thoughts, however, wandered to what Thaelab meant by "showing him the ropes". Perhaps, Thaelab would show him the same torture techniques Al Sah-him learned from Thalia al-Ghul 3 years ago. Felicity woke with a start, practically leaping out of her skin. 

"Where am I? What do-" she started clearly flustered. 

"We have some questions for you." Thaelab interrupted, crouching down so that he was level with her thigh, "Now, we can go about this with as little pain as possible: I ask the question you give an answer, simple. Or, we can a fun little time-" Thaelab emphasized his point by pulling one of his throwing knives out from his tunic, "with some torture. Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here, and assume you," Thaelab pointed his knife causally at Felicity,"don't have a very high pain tolerance. Choose wisely" Thaelab said the whole thing in a light conversational tone. Felicity looked up at Al Sh-him, trying to catch his eye, yet Al Sah-him ignored her. Thaelab followed her gaze, noticing she was looking at Al Sah-him. 

"Now that that's settled, where did you put the Omega virus?" Thaelab asked. Felicity gave no response. Thaelab sighed, then stabbed the knife into her thigh, near her kneecap. Felicity cried out in pain.

"I won't tell you anything!" She proclaimed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah. yeah. Where's the virus?" Thaelab pressed, twisting the knife in the wound. Felicity groaned in pain but kept her mouth shut. She looked up pitifully at Al Sah-him. His face was unreadable, portraying no emotion.

"Still no response?" Thaelab pulled the knife out of the wound. Without sparing him a glance, Thaelab commanded Al Sah-him,

"Watch." He turned the knife on its side and pressed against the skin on Felicity's thigh. He pressed lightly at first as if testing the minimal amount of effort required to break the skin. Then he pushed down, and sliced a strip of Felicity's skin from her thigh, revealing the pink flesh underneath. Indeed, they were the same torture techniques. Felicity was a blubbering mess. She was sobbing, attempting to appeal to Oliver for help, to no avail. Al Sah-him looked on silently. Disdain was the only thing to pass his face. Thaelab stopped about halfway up her thigh and lifted off the peel of skin.

"Where's the virus?" Thaelab said with a darker edge to his voice than usual. The playful, almost teasing, hint in his voice was gone. Felicity struggled to speak. Her body, her thigh, was screaming in pain. She was covered in blood. Her love-- former love, was standing over her as she got tortured. Felicity was trying to muster the words to tell him, trying to muster the words to betray her friends. Holy shit it hurt. 

"ARGUS" Felicity finally managed. A smirk spread across Thaelab's face as he stood, wiping the blood from his knife. The gears were already turning in Al Sah-him's head. He knew the layout of the nearest ARGUS base inside and out. Thaelab tucked the knife back into his tunic.

"You worked for ARGUS at some point correct?" he asked, heading towards the exit. 

"Yes, as did Sarab," replied Al Sah-him as the two stepped into the hallway again, "what's going to happen to her?" 

"Depends, you have the final say. My vote, kill her," responded Thaelab as they headed back towards the main hall. Al Sah-him nodded and replied,

"Keep her until the mission is finished, then release her." Thaelab gave a stiff nod of recognition and called Layl over.

"Find Althayran and Saqr. We know where the virus is," Thaelab ordered her. Layl ran off without giving a response. Thaelab turned to Al Sah-him,

"Can you draw up plans for the ARGUS base? I can have Sarab help you. Where would they most likely be keeping the virus?" Al Sah-him then went off to find Sarab. Thaelab smiled to himself; everything was coming together nicely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everyone who reads my garbage!! comments and kudos appreciated!
> 
> for those of you who have read my other work: I'm currently writing another chapter but its going slow. I'm probably about halfway(?) done
> 
> I'm also sort of working on an original work, its mostly just a concept right now but I'm working out the kinks


End file.
